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Elkins also was lucky enough to have diversified the economy after its initial boom in the early 20th century that it continues well adjusted growth and value appreciation. Is it to the level I'd like..?? No, but I'll take it! I'm glad your friend enjoys Elkins and makes her feel like she's at home
Those windmills... ehhh... I'd rather have those than coal mines in the area... I guess its a trade off. I view them as a sign of progressivism. They create energy that otherwise wouldn't be available, and they're now one of the top 5 biggest tax payers in the county... all without any CO2 generated. You can't really notice them unless you're really looking for them and staring at them and they're not visible from all areas of the town.
Humans generate CO2 just by exhaling. Is that a problem?
Given that the catalyst that built Elkins is long gone (the Western Maryland Railroad) the town looks remarkably good. And is becoming an East Coast destination for the arts. I have a friend from Vermont who says she drives four hours to Elkins when she gets homesick because it looks so much like her home state (which is a huge compliment given how much she talks about Vermont).
One negative I have with Elkins is that it's sad to see those big ugly windmills on the ridges to the west of town. Who thought that was a good idea???
I saw them for this first time earlier this year when my dad and I went up to check out the rivers. (He's been going to the mountains fishing since the early 50's).
I thought they were pretty cool. I'm not a member of the church of ecology but I still think the technology is great.
Elkins is a great town. It reminds me somewhat of Vermont with its topography and some of its architecture. A large and vibrant artist community. I see some similarities with Woodstock, VT, but with far less of an urban money component.
Elkins is a great town. It reminds me somewhat of Vermont with its topography and some of its architecture. A large and vibrant artist community. I see some similarities with Woodstock, VT, but with far less of an urban money component.
Another great thing about Elkins is that it's growing! The city grew by 0.9% from 2000-2010 and its urban cluster grew by a couple thousand!
Housing prices above average for WV prices, but well below the national level. Homes appreciate very well in all of Randolph County, generally speaking... 5% appreciation last year, which resulted in the County Board of Education reducing the levy rate since the new appreciation would have resulted in an additional 300k which would have been taken out of the funds the BOE receives from the state.
It also really depends on what you're looking for. Inside actual Elkins city limits there are some fixer uppers that you can snag for like 60-70k as well as well maintained homes in the 120-150 range. Some newer neighborhoods and subdivisions are a little more upscale and have homes in the 200-300k range. I would personally recommend Bridgewater or Edgewater Estates if those are your tastes.
Jobs... again it depends on what you're skilled in. Elkins has a lot of healthcare professional and related jobs. The hospital is also in the middle of a huge building expansion and is adding beds and new services. Physician offices and buildings are also generally located near the hospital but can be found throughout the city. You really shouldn't have an issue with employment if you're in the healthcare, environmental ( division of natural resources) or hospitality industries. Education is also a decently safe bet with 6 elementary schools, a middle school, and the high school located in Elkins as well as Davis and Elkins College. Hospitality a big business due to the large and growing tourism industry in the area.
Of course there are other jobs available, when you look in the news paper, word of mouth, etc. I just mentioned off the top of my head. That being said... Wages are lower in all of WV than many are used to. However, taxes are significantly lower... and very few places in the Elkins area are renting $1250.00 one bed rooms apartments... which is the going rate here in Scottsdale AZ. Lower housing, and taxes isn't too bad of a trade off for lower wages. It's all relative to the COL.
Odd that the courthouse is so far out of the downtown area, the rail station is where the courthouse usually is in a shire town. Were they expecting a lot more growth or something?
Odd that the courthouse is so far out of the downtown area, the rail station is where the courthouse usually is in a shire town. Were they expecting a lot more growth or something?
It's not really out of downtown.. just on the fringe... I think they were laying it out in sections... downtown/residential/judicial areas... etc. It's probably not even a mile away from downtown.
Also... Elkins was not the original county seat. It was Beverly for roughly 100 years prior to Elkins getting the courthouse. There is a lot of history in that story.
The Old High School in the one picture has been torn down, extra parking now for the football stadium... The red building, the old First Ward School is now being gutted and being rebuilt on the inside for new apartments.
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I'm glad your friend enjoys Elkins and makes her feel like she's at home 
